Prize Reflections 1997 Western History Association Published Prize Winners

In the fall of last year, the Western Historical Society (WHA)awarded eight distinguished prizes at ts annual banquet. Shortly thereafter, the editors of the Western Historical Quarterly asked me if I would write an essay of reflections on the prize-winning scholarship, and, along the way, speculations about the field of western history in general. Mindful of Ambrose Bierce's musings on the definition of a fool as "a person who pervades the domain of the intellectual speculation," I am nonetheless honored by the invitation and pleased to offer these brief comments.